This month marks two years since I went on my dream trip to the land of the rising sun (aka Japan). Truth be told, this is probably the only trip I’ve been on that exceeded my expectations. I’ve travelled to quite a few places in my life but none as memorable as Japan. It’s an entirely new world over there. Everything from the culture to the technology is entirely different. To give you an example, I rode bullet trains going at 273 km/h from one city to the next instead of flying or taking a car. I can’t even take the train to the mall on the west side of my own city and it’s our biggest attraction.
Since I did this trip entirely on my own, I spent a ton of time either listening to my own music or paying attention to the sounds in the places I visited. Whether I entered a unique neighbourhood, store or restaurant, I was paying attention to the songs playing. By doing that, I was able to link songs to different moments throughout my travels.
As a commemorative memory to the trip, I tried to recreate my experiences in Japan through a series of playlists. The Kyoto playlist list is meant to feel like a day (as in full 24 hours) in Kyoto. Kyoto was one of the quietest and most beautiful of all the major Japanese cities I travelled to. Stay with me for a second here and let me try to help you picture it. You’re in a peaceful city that’s in the middle of this valley. Since it was cherry blossom season, imagine batches of pink flowered trees throughout the hills. Imagine starting off the day looking at a massive shrine that’s hundreds of years old with cherry blossoms blowing in the wind ( I wish I was making this stuff up). Then you decide to walk on streets lined with cherry blossom trees or cobblestone paths lined with small bars that all provide their own unique experience. Imagine feudal era japanese architecture on some of the buildings, or rivers and streams flowing throughout different parts of the city. Imagine restaurants with some of the best ramen and sushi that you’ve ever had. Of course I’ve only seen certain areas and can only speak on things with a snapshot of a few days in the city but I found these songs together got the vibe right. This isn’t something to tun up* to but if you’re just coolin’* it at the crib or in a park and want the music to take you on a little adventure, you’ve come to the right place. Enjoy, “Kyoto – Exhibit A”.
Like always, I’ve got the tracklist and Apple Music links below after the Spotify playlist and it’s definitely a playlist that sounds better in its original song order (don’t shuffle this one if you can help it). Give it a listen and let me know what you think in our comments on IG at: @day.four.
*Disclaimer: There’s going to be tracks on here that as a fan of hip-hop, you wouldn’t think I’d listen to. Just lend me your ear and allow me to take you a on a little trip .*
Kyoto – Exhibit A Tracklist (Apple Music song links):
Ur – SZA
Azumi II – Elijah Nang
Pink Cloud – Little Dragon
Sakura – Vanilla
Twice – Little Dragon
Highs 2 Lows – Nujabes feat. Cise Starr
Sundress – A$AP Rocky
Japanese Denim – Daniel Caesar
In Your Eyes – BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Charlotte Day Wilson
The Mint – Earl Sweatshirt feat. Navy Blue
See Me – Melii
Rough Soul – GoldLink feat. April George
Lost – Frank Ocean
Moments – Jhené Aiko feat. Big Sean
The Knife – Maggie Rogers
The Moment – Tame Impala
The Dreamer – Common feat. Maya Angelou
FOR MY PEOPLE – Joey Bada$$
Walking On A Dream – Empire of the Sun
Polaroids – Jay Prince
Blinking Pigs – Little Dragon
Self Care – Mac Miller
Itachi Uchiha – Free Flow Flava
Killer – Nipsey Hussle feat. Drake
Out The Window – Hit-Boy feat. Dom Kennedy
22 Samurai – Rude.
Potato Salad – Tyler, the Creator feat. A$AP Rocky
Hallucinating – Future
Way Out – Melii
Pass The Hours – MorMor
m i s t – eevee
Motion – Emotional Oranges
Sip A Lil – Tyga feat. Gucci Mane
Tears In The Rain – The Weeknd
Dangerous – Meek Mill feat. PNB Rock & Jeremih
SMILE – Saba
Some Place Else – MorMor
Never Ending – Rihanna
Tragic Hero – Redrose
Never Been – Dave East feat. Matt Patterson
Glossary:
Tun up – to turn up, get wild (with substances of your choice)
Coolin’ – relaxing, chillin’
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